Jay-Z Gave Us Another Rare Glimpse into His Marriage With Beyonce

Splash NewsJay-Z's new album 4:44 isn't only a platinum hit -- it's also a rare view into the rapper's personal life, as we're learning from lyrics and behind-the-scenes content. The latest revelation, from his Tidal series Footnotes, features Jay getting candid about his marriage to Beyonce.

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The latest Footnotes video covers the title track "4:44," which previously made headlines for its lyrics about infidelity.

In the clip, famous men of color -- such as Chris Rock, Aziz Ansari, Meek Mill, Will Smith, Mahershala Ali, and Jesse Williams -- open up about relationships, toxic masculinity, and the women in their lives. Jay-Z participates as well, stating:

"This is my real life. I just ran into this place and we built this big, beautiful mansion of a relationship that wasn't totally built on the 100 percent truth, and it starts cracking. Things start happening that the public can see. Then we had to get to a point of 'Okay, tear this down and let's start from the beginning' ... It's the hardest thing I've ever done .... We just got to a place where in order for this to work, this can't be fake. Not one ounce. I'm not saying it wasn't uncomfortable because obviously it was."

He also alludes to the fact that fighting for his marriage was tougher to overcome than growing up in Marcy Projects and being shot at. He recalls a moment when he was on vacation with Bey and begged her not leave him and end their marriage.

"What is happening to my body right now? Did I just say ... 'Don't leave'? All this is new for me."

Jay also shared that he played "4:44" for his wife early on while recording the album. All part of stripping away what was fake and building on truth, surely.

Although the father of three ultimately doesn't get into specifics, hearing him open up in some way about this private part of his life and explore these difficult but important topics -- especially alongside other men -- is seriously heartening and thought-provoking. Talk about turning lemons into lemonade.